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BCAug 19, 2026

Vancouver Granville Street Homicide: 35-Year-Old Man Arrested

Vancouver Police have arrested 35-year-old James Christopher Holmgren after Crown counsel approved a second-degree murder charge in connection with a fatal stabbing on Granville Street last year. Police were called to the area of Granville Street and Helmcken Street on November 17, 2025, after reports of a man suffering from a stab wound. The victim, 20-year-old Aymen Al-Hafidh, was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Holmgren was arrested by Vancouver Police Homicide Unit detectives and remains in custody.
b-c-wildfires-destroy-or-damage-more-than-500-buildings-this-year
BCAug 19, 2026

B.C. Wildfires Destroy or Damage More Than 500 Buildings This Year

More than 500 homes and buildings have been destroyed or damaged by wildfires across British Columbia this year, marking one of the province’s worst years for structural wildfire damage in recent years. Although the total area of forest burned remains lower than in some record-breaking fire seasons, more than 1,000 wildfires have already caused significant damage to structures. Four major fires - Bald Range near Summerland, the Bradley Complex near Vernon, the Big Bar Complex near Clinton and the Brunswick Complex near Boston Bar - have grown to major incidents, with only the Bradley Compl
IndiaAug 19, 2026

Kolkata Hotel Fire Kills 9, Including 5 Bangladeshis

A devastating fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, early Wednesday morning, killing around nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals. A child was also among those who died. Police officials said the fire broke out on the second floor of the hotel at around 2:50 a.m. local time and was brought under control within about an hour. A preliminary investigation suggests that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire. According to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four of the five Bangladeshi nationals who died were members of the same family. Six other Bang
canada-u-s-trade-deal-trump-announces-no-new-tariffs-auto-tariffs-to-get-relief
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Canada-U.S. Trade Deal: Trump Announces No New Tariffs, Auto Tariffs to Get Relief

Canada-U.S. trade relations could be entering a new phase. U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday while speaking to reporters in Washington that no new tariffs will be imposed on goods coming from Canada. He also announced some relief from the tariffs imposed on Canadian automobiles. Trump described the proposed trade agreement as a “great” deal for American farmers and a very good deal for both countries. Meanwhile, during a meeting with Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc in Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters that the two countries had reached an
maple-ridge-shooting-leaves-56-year-old-man-critically-injured
BCAug 19, 2026

Maple Ridge shooting leaves 56-year-old man critically injured

A 56-year-old man has been critically injured in an overnight shooting in Maple Ridge, B.C. Police say the shooting happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 11400 block of 236 Street. Officers responding to reports of gunshots found the wounded man inside a vehicle outside the residence. The Maple Ridge RCMP Serious Crime Unit has taken over the investigation. Police say no motive has been established and no suspect information has been released. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has dashcam footage from the area around the time of the incident to come forwa
two-arrested-in-brampton-online-dating-extortion-case
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Two Arrested in Brampton Online Dating Extortion Case

Peel Regional Police in Ontario have arrested a Punjabi man and a woman in connection with an alleged extortion scheme in Brampton involving an online dating platform. Police identified the accused as 35-year-old Harwinder Singh and 23-year-old Ria. Both have been charged with extortion, robbery and forcible confinement related to an e-transfer. Singh is also facing an additional charge of uttering threats. According to Peel police, in July, a victim was contacted through a messaging app by a fake profile using the name “Manisha Sharma.” The two later arranged to meet at a basement apartme
IndiaAug 19, 2026

Farmers Suspend Protest at Punjab-Haryana Border, Meeting with Manohar Lal Set for September 4

Farmer organizations protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of their agitation. The decision came after Haryana authorities proposed a meeting with Union Minister Manohar Lal on September 4 to discuss the farmers’ demands. The protesting farmers had been sitting at the Khanauri–Data Singh Wala border point. On August 16, Haryana Police stopped a group of 51 farmers from proceeding towards Delhi. The farmers were undertaking a 228-kilometre-long “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” (Save Farmers March) to oppose the proposed India-U.S. trade agreement
AlbertaAug 19, 2026

Alberta AI Data Centres Face Public Scrutiny at Lacombe Town Hall

Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, is holding a town hall meeting in Lacombe this evening to hear residents’ views and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. Plans to establish large-scale data centres in the area have faced opposition from some local residents and environmental advocates. Critics are particularly concerned about the large amounts of water the facilities could consume, their potential impact on the environment, and the heavy electricity demand that could put additional pressure on Alberta’s power grid and potentially increas
b-c-governments-decision-to-shut-public-employee-directory-sparks-transparency-debate
BCAug 19, 2026

B.C. Government’s Decision to Shut Public Employee Directory Sparks Transparency Debate

The B.C. government’s decision under Premier David Eby to suddenly shut down its online directory of government employees to the general public has sparked a political controversy in the province. Opposition parties have accused the government of hiding information from the public and undermining transparency. The government, however, says the decision was made to protect employees’ safety, privacy and cybersecurity. Through the directory, members of the public could previously find out which employees worked in different government departments, their positions and how to contact them. Lan

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AlbertaAug 20, 2026

Alberta to Host Second Town Hall on AI Data Centre Plans in Sturgeon County

Alberta Technology Minister Nate Glubish is set to host the province’s second town hall on its plans for artificial intelligence data centres on Thursday in Redwater, north of Edmonton. The event comes amid growing concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale AI facilities. Redwater is in Sturgeon County, where tech giant Meta is planning a $13-billion AI data centre project. The proposed facility would be a major investment in the region and is expected to be one of Canada’s largest data centres. The town hall follows a contentious meeting in Lacombe on Wednesday,
cta-orders-westjet-to-remove-power-wheelchair-weight-limit
CanadaAug 20, 2026

CTA Orders WestJet to Remove Power Wheelchair Weight Limit

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ordered WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, to eliminate the weight limit it imposes on power wheelchairs carried on its aircraft. The regulator ruled that WestJet’s weight restriction creates an unreasonable barrier for passengers living with disabilities and must be removed before July 2027. The case came to light following a complaint filed by Winnipeg resident and former federal cabinet minister Steven Fletcher, who was prevented from boarding a WestJet flight last year because of the weight of his customized electric wheelchair. WestJ
BCAug 20, 2026

15-Year-Old Charged After Allegedly Threatening to Burn Down Port Coquitlam Home

A 15-year-old youth has been criminally charged after allegedly making threats to burn down a home in Port Coquitlam. According to Coquitlam RCMP, the case relates to an incident that occurred on May 17 this year. Following an investigation by the General Investigation Section and a review of the evidence, the B.C. Prosecution Service approved the charges on August 4. The youth’s identity has not been released because of his age under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Police also clarified that he is not a resident of the Port Coquitlam area. The youth is facing three charges, including mischi
poilievre-invites-irans-exiled-crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-to-visit-canada
CanadaAug 20, 2026

Poilievre Holds Video Call With Reza Pahlavi, Invites Him to Canada

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a video conference today with Iran’s exiled former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and invited him to visit Canada. Sharing details of the conversation, Poilievre said they discussed the current regime in Tehran and the mission to establish a free and democratic Iran. He also mentioned the strong support he received from Vancouver’s Iranian community for holding talks with Pahlavi. Poiliev was in the North Vancouver–Capilano riding last week, where a by-election is scheduled for August 31. On Saturday, he attended a meeting organized by the Conservativ
carney-urges-premiers-to-lift-ban-on-u-s-alcohol
CanadaAug 20, 2026

Carney Urges Premiers to Lift Ban on U.S. Alcohol

Prime Minister Mark Carney has urged Canada’s provincial premiers to remove restrictions on U.S. alcohol as Ottawa works to finalize an interim trade agreement with the United States. Trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. are continuing after President Donald Trump delayed the implementation of a proposed 50 per cent tariff until Friday. Washington has repeatedly raised concerns over Canada’s restrictions on American alcohol products. Because provincial governments control the sale and distribution of alcohol in Canada, Carney held a virtual meeting with the premiers on Wednesday